Nuclear energy production processes have a major disadvantage of producing waste that has a high concentration of heavy and radioactive metals. Conventional methods for removing heavy metals from aqueous streams include chemical precipitation, chemical oxidation or reduction, ion exchange, filtration, electrochemical treatment, and evaporative recovery. These processes may be ineffective or extremely expensive when attempting to meet the concentration requirements of environmental regulations. Another method for removing these metals is absorption by microorganisms and some plant and animal tissues. The ability of biological tissue to interact with and concentrate a variety of metals is well known. Such interactions include those which are metabolically mediated or growth associated and the less specific absorptive complexation of metals with various cellular components. Although many microorganisms have been identified to absorb such metals, there is a continuing need to develop a processing system that is continuous and efficient and does not result in the loss of the microorganisms as well as a system that does not require the use of live microorganisms during the extraction process.